Sunday, January 8, 2012

USMLE Review and 5 Vital Study Techniques

When is an examination considered difficult? Just like any aspect of your medical education, the word "difficult" is subjective. An examination will be considered difficult when you lack the necessary preparation and review you need in order to pass a specific academic test.

Just like every academic test integrated in your medical education, you always need preparation. If you did not prepare, a moderately difficult examination will become very difficult. And the ease or difficulty of these tests will rely almost entirely upon your study techniques.

Furthermore, your study techniques will define how you will be able to retain necessary information to answer all the questions on your USMLE. The USMLE is a three-part licensing examination for medical students. Of course, you must pass all your academic examinations. And most of all, you must pass all the steps of USMLE.

Most medical students will participate in some form of a USMLE review program. For some, an online course best fits their needs, while others may choose a live or audio review. This USMLE review will play a major part in your passing or failing the examination. What happened if you did not prepare adequately on any test? You can expect either a failing score or a score that does not satisfy your expectations.

A USMLE Review usually consists of highly efficient medical doctors and specialists teaching material in a way that you, the student, can understand. These instructors should be fully equipped with the necessary credentials and training to facilitate a review of medical knowledge and adequately assist medical students in passing the USMLE Step 1, USMLE Step 2 CK, USMLE Step 2 CS or USMLE Step 3. However, if you don't utilize proper study techniques, even if the best specialists personally teach you in a USMLE Review, all will come to naught.

What specific study techniques can be helpful in conjunction with a formal or informal USMLE Review? Below are some helpful tips:

You should not overestimate your capabilities no matter how good your grades in your medical academic subjects.

You should put in mind that from the very first day you decided to take up medical education, preparation will always be a vital function you will need as a medical student.

The USMLE is not an easy examination but the degree of the ease or difficulty will be defined by how adequate or inadequate your preparation is.

You must define your goal in terms of passing the USMLE. Without any goal, your actions will have no direction.

You should be able to clearly set your goal and set specific actions to achieving the goal. It is also helpful to pick a specific score you want to achieve in the USMLE review tests as well as the actual USMLE Step 1, USMLE Step 2 CK, USMLE Step 2 CS and USMLE Step 3. This will further help you find appropriate initiative to achieve your objectives.

Preparation involves planning, and planning involves setting specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bounded objectives. Without these objectives, the actions you need to take will be more difficult to define, and the outcome of those actions will be uncertain. Remember that perparing for the USMLE is like implementing a treatment for the patient. Without knowledge of what your goals of treatment are, you are at a loss as to what should be the prescription.